This blog started off by focussing on NZ's smaller 3rd level airlines, past and present. It has evolved to trying to present some record of NZ's domestic airline operations and some of the larger charter operators, interesting NZ international airliner movements and photos I have taken around the country. Comments, corrections or contributions are welcome, Steve - westland831@gmail.com

19 March 2013

New Air Service to Tonga’s Niuas.

Following the withdrawal of
Chathams Pacific Air Samoa is set to provide an air service to Tonga’s Niuas
using its Britten Norman Islander aircraft.

The company plans to operate a
Friday service from Samoa’s Falelolo International Airport to the northern Tongan
island of Niuatoputapu before continuing on Vava’u. Once a fortnight the
aircraft will then do a return Vava’u-Niuafo’ou service before returning to
Samoa via Niuatoputapu in the afternoon. These services are being carried out under
an agreement with the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga. This is in support of
the new carrier Real Tonga.

Air Samoa has a fleet of two
Britten Norman Islanders, 5W-CSJ and 5W-JUN as well as one Cessna 172P, 5W-RJO.
The company is unusual in that it has introduced a world first - 'Pay only for
what you weigh'! The company website says, “We at Samoa Air are keeping
airfares fair, by charging our passengers only for what they weigh.”

In addition to the new service
the company also operates five weekly international services to Pago Pago in American
Samoa from both Fagali’i (which is in Apia – as opposed to Faleolo
International Airport which is 40 kms from Apia) and Maota on the island of
Savai’i. The company also operates up to five daily flights between the islands
of Upolo and Savai’i from Faleolo to Maota/Asau on an air taxi basis.